Monthly Archives: April 2011

Do you find yourself thinking, “I could/would eat healthier if it wasn’t so expensive”? Or perhaps, “I can’t afford to eat like she/he does, that’s why I’m not thin like they are”. Or maybe even, “All ‘those’ foods are weird and taste like cardboard”.

Well I’m here to encourage you. Eating clean, whole, delicious foods can be very inexpensive and fun! 🙂

Over the last decade or two, I’ve used myself (okay, yes, and my family) as guinea pigs to try all of the foods I hear about that have great nutritional benefits. Some of those foods are very common to me and others, I never knew existed. Not only has it been fun, but delicious!

Things like kale, leeks, chard, quinoa, millet, lentils, ginger, garlic, beans, chick peas, berries, arugula,….the list goes on and on. These foods can be very cost efficient and delicious. Especially if you grow some in your own garden!

In addition, when you learn about all of nutrition they deliver, the cost becomes even more reasonable!

Go ahead try a new food, not just once, not just one way, but really give it a chance. Maybe you could try it as a stand-alone in your meal plan. Sometimes, I mix things in with my ‘normal’ recipes just to add a “nutritional punch” to the dish. I know folks to puree things and just add it in and no one even notices. 😉

One of the things I do on a regular basis is search the internet for foods, recipes, and meal plans. This information gathering gives me wisdom, inspiration, and knowledge; never mind, a good meal. It becomes part of my ‘foodie tool box’.

What have you tried lately? You know, Nutrition IS a science, and a very ‘young science’ at best. It is always changing and information can be confusing. Don’t rely on just one source, do your homework.

I would challenge you to try a new food this week. You could try a new grain, a legume, a vegetable, a fruit, or maybe, you try a grain you know, but just a different way. Take chickpeas (aka. Garbanzo beans). They can be pureed into hummus, roasted for something crunchy, thrown in a salad for a clean protein, or added to a soup or stew. How about quinoa? You could use as a side-dish for a meal, you could make it a meal in itself by making it into a warm morning cereal, you could add it to a salad to add texture and flavor, or make it a base for a meal like adding stir fried veggies.

So, are you ready for the challenge? Let me know what food you tried and how you prepared it, I’d love to hear about it!